


Beauty and the Ike Patooka

by ThornsandRamHorns



Category: Lilo & Stitch (2002)
Genre: F/M, M/M, Original Character(s), POV Multiple, Slow Build, gantu x oc, lilo and stitch oc
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-20
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:06:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27638636
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThornsandRamHorns/pseuds/ThornsandRamHorns
Summary: When a certain former Captain of the Galactic Alliance finally feels the pressure of working for an evil space gerbil, how does he handle the sudden rush of kindness and caring thrust upon him by none other than an earth-woman?Rated M for mature language, mature themes (non that fall under the achieve-warning), possible sexual content.
Relationships: David Kawena/Nani Pelekai, Gantu/OC, Jumba Jookiba/Wendy Pleakley
Comments: 6
Kudos: 24





	1. Choices

**Author's Note:**

> Hello friends, welcome to my passion project of a story known as "Beauty and the Ike Patooka". I have had an admiration for Gantu ever since I saw the movie for the first time in 2002 when I was 6 years old. Yes, I'm that old. I've always had the desire to write a story for Gantu, but never felt there was the audience for one. There likely still isn't, but that won't stop me from pouring my heart and soul into this.
> 
> For some context, and because the timeline of Lilo and Stitch can get messy, the story begins during the Lilo and Stitch: The Series timeline. Where Gantu was trying to gather experiments and pre-Leroy. The experiments used are all ones that did not make canonical appearances in any of the spin offs, but their names are taken from the credits of Leroy and Stitch. I've spit balled what their primary functions would be based on their names. Also, the story will never take elements from the spin off "Stitch!" or "Stitch and Ai". I'm sticking to the canon that the series ends with "Leroy and Stitch". I like the idea of Gantu becoming a good guy again, oki? Oki.
> 
> Also, in case you weren't sure, "Ike Patooka" is Stitch speak for "Dummy-head" I thought it was quirky. :P
> 
> Now, please enjoy the first chapter of "Beauty and the Ike Patooka".

“Experiment 064 activated. Primary function, induces imminent unconsciousness.” The computer announced to deaf ears, today was not the day for hunting experiments. Today was the day for a nice, much needed bath session – along with some sandwiches.

Over the past few months, the former Captain Gantu realized just how much stress his job as a bounty hunter for experiments was causing him. Not only physically, as he felt his still relatively youthful body failing him in all the wrong places, but mentally it was taking its toll as well. It felt as though he hadn’t had a moments peace since he was forced into early retirement. Dr. Hämsterviel ran the poor man ragged, and Gantu realized he needed a down day – whether his boss liked it or not was another story.

The door to the makeshift bathing room opened to reveal 625 and a healthy supply of egg salad sandwiches. To allow Gantu some privacy – and possibly for his own sake – 625 shielded his eyes with his upper set of arms while his lower set held the plate baring the sandwiches,

“Here ya go G, some egg salad sandwiches. As per your request.” He placed the plate by the tub, refusing to move his upper hands, “I even put in a few slices of bacon for ya, you can thank me for that later.”

Gantu sighed contently, he was surprised at how willing 625 was to help him relax. He supposed in an odd way it was a relaxing day for 625 as well to have him occupy a different portion of the ship. The two aliens could easily butt heads, but sometimes moments like this could happen: pure comradery. Oddly enough, this felt like such a foreign concept to Gantu since it had been so long since he had been a Captain for the Galactic Alliance. Back then, the comradery amongst him and his crew was undeniable – or at least he thought it was. His crew idolized him, and respected him, while maintaining a sense of friendly bonding. It was nostalgic to think about, and a little disheartening. The large alien had two tiny cucumber slices placed over his eye lids, he had seen earth-forms doing it, and they seemed more relaxed in doing so. He took the slice on his right eye off to acknowledge the shy 625,

“I appreciate that, thank you 625.”

The experiment shrugged as his lower set of arms slunk back into his body, his head tilting slightly as he let out a grunt. He didn’t normally bring out his second set of arms, so when he did it always felt so foreign to him.

“No problem G, you deserve it. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a few new recipes I wanna try out while you’re relaxing.” He began to walk off before stopping in front of the door, “Oh and uh, what do ya want me to do if Dr. H calls?”

Gantu grunted in response, “Just tell him I’m busy.”

“You know that won’t work.”

Another grunt, “I have a good feeling about today. I bet there won’t be a single experiment for me to-“

“GANTU!” An all-to-familiar voice shrilled, echoing through the spacecraft like nails on a chalkboard.

“-Blitznak.”

The sound of robotic movement could be heard as the communication monitor with Hämsterviel’s face forced the door open, causing 625 to quickly jump out of the way at the sound alarming him.

“Why are you bathing when there is an experiment to capture?!” The rodent alien shouted, his fists balled and flailing as he spoke.

“But sir, I need a day off. My mind is-“

Hämsterviel scoffed, “I do not care how your mind is doing, I care how your body is not moving to capture my experiment!!”

Gantu sighed, defeated. He should’ve known better. He wouldn’t get a day off until the day all the experiments were captured. Whether that was by him or the little earth-girl he honestly couldn’t say with confidence. After a moment he nodded, “Yes sir. I’ll get right to it.” With that, Hämsterviel was gone. Leaving nothing but the flicker of a disgusted look on his face on the screen. It frustrated Gantu to no end, he just wanted a break. 625 threw a towel in his direction, attempting to help as best he could.

“Hey, I bet you’ll get this one.” He said, half-heartedly. He tried his best to sound sincere, but it was clear that he wasn’t terribly hopeful. He left the room to allow Gantu the privacy he needed to get dressed. The large alien letting out yet another deep sigh as the door shut behind 625.

As he arose from the tub and wrapped the towel around his lower half, Gantu’s mind wandered. It wandered to a simpler time, back before he joined the Galatic Armada, back when he had a choice. The choice of marrying his high school sweetheart, Cinta, or joining the Armada. It wasn’t often that he reflected on this, especially when he had initially joined, but at times when he felt like this it flooded his mind. What would married life have been like? Would they have had children? Would she have divorced him and married a younger man years down the line? The last one was an attempt at feeling better for his decision. Gantu would never confess to anyone, but his virginity remained intact, unlike his dignity. His first girlfriend was his only girlfriend, and perhaps he’d made a dire mistake in joining the Armada. Though, becoming a Captain was the greatest thing that had ever happened to him – so when it was taken away it stung like hell. Maybe there was hope for him yet, maybe there was a light that he had yet to reach. Or maybe his wishful thinking was nonsense. It was something, at least.

After a quick click of his belt, Gantu was dressed and ready – physically. His mind still struggled, but he knew he didn’t have a choice. He left to the main gangway of the ship, grabbed his usual set of tools; his plasma gun, his containment capsule, and a sandwich (he had yet to enjoy the ones prepared for him, after all). 625 sat in his usual seat while lacing a thick layer of mayonnaise on a piece of rye bread, “Careful out there, I checked the computer and this one’s a coma-inducer.” Gantu cocked his head, “What?” 625 swivelled the chair to face him, “It’ll make you unconscious if you’re not careful. Like the one who turned you into a baby? But this one will make you sleep like one.” Gantu smirked, he had to admit that was a clever comment, “Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind.”

* * *

Another restless day in Kauai, it was the norm since aliens arrived. It was also the only normal for Gantu. Having been apart of the abnormality that struck the island. There were earth-forms knocked out on the streets, in their cars, in chairs at cafes, it was definitely a peaceful sight to see. It was hard to tell if they were sleeping, or simply out cooled. It felt like deja-vu from the other sleeper experiment. However, it wasn’t the sight that Gantu focused on. His eyes scanned all over, in search for the experiment that caused all the slumber. Surely it must have been close, as there wasn’t a soul in sight who was awake. Clearly the little earth-girl and the trog had yet to undo the chaos this monster had caused, which suggested that they had yet to discover it. Perfect.

Suddenly, a feminine scream from the Bird’s of Paradise Hotel lobby could be heard. There was no way that wasn’t linked to the experiment. Gantu bolted to the direction of the scream, where a short human woman was desperately swatting at a light blue experiment that was flying above her, it looked as though it was trying to make eye contact with her.

“Get away from me you little monster!” She cried, covering her face with her suitcase in a pathetic attempt to defend herself. Gantu watched for a moment in amusement, for some reason he found it entertaining to watch this earth-form attempt to stop the experiment. The fact that she called it a monster was also oddly amusing. Then, the woman began unzipping her suitcase and opened it, letting the contents spill to the ground. Without hesitation, she lunged for the experiment and caught it in her suitcase, zipping it shut as best she could as the trog within squirmed. “Got you, you little…Whatever you are!”

Gantu had to admit, he was impressed. This human woman did his job for him, now he could simply take her suitcase from her and deliver the package to Hämsterviel. He kept a hand hovered over his plasma gun, currently loaded with netting, and made his way over to the woman.

“Impressive work. Now hand it over.” He reached down expectantly, looking at the short earthling in front of him. She gave him a look of shock as she eyed him up, “What are you?” She clung to her suitcase now, as if suddenly the little monster was her defence. Gantu had to think fast, should he say he was Samoan as he usually did? Should he just yank the suitcase from her and run? No. He was arguably a bad guy, but not a bad person. He knelt to her level as best he could, attempting to not appear as a threat.

“I am here to take that experi- monster away. My job is to hunt those monsters and uh,” He paused, it was hard to keep his composure and maintain a straight face when the woman kept looking him over. What was so fascinating? Was it his height? His appearance? Surely this human had seen an alien before- oh. Probably not. She was clearly a tourist too, given her suitcase. Gantu sighed. He had a feeling in the pit of his stomach that this particular earth-woman would not believe any lie or bend of truth he spewed at her.

“Listen, I am a – former, Captain of the Galactic Alliance. What you have in that bag is an illegal experiment. I need to take it and give it to my boss as it is his.” He extended his hand out again, “So, if you wouldn’t mind-“

“Hold it.” The woman now making direct eye contact with him spoke, “Are you telling me you’re an alien?” Gantu held back a grunt, it felt like it was pretty obvious. “Well, yes. I am.” She cocked an eyebrow, “So this thing in my bag, is also an alien?” “Kind of.” There was an awkward pause. Gantu was surprised with himself, how he maintained this level of patience with this specific earth-woman he would likely never know.

Abruptly, and arguably unsurprisingly, the sound of a car could be heard. Along with the sound of an all too familiar, “ika patooka!” Of course, they’re here. Suddenly the car stopped beside the pair, only to reveal Gantu’s least favourite earth-girl and trog. Lilo pointed at the still squirming suitcase, “Don’t give that dummy-head the suitcase!” The woman looked over at Lilo with another confused expression. Now Gantu’s patience was gone. Without warning, he scooped the woman up with her suitcase and made a break for it. Stitch growled and darted behind them.

The chase was on, only now Gantu had more cargo than he had anticipated. The woman held onto her bag for dear life and let out a frightened squeal. Gantu held onto her with his left arm, cradling her like an infant, then reached for his plasma gun with his right hand. Without looking, he impressively managed to hit Stitch with it, which caused him to get trapped in the net. Lilo called after him and made her way to Stitch’s side, all the while Gantu was able to vanish from their sight. The whole time he felt a new-found sense of adrenaline he hadn’t felt in a while. It felt intoxicating. He didn’t expect to be successful today, and yet here he was. He glanced down at the woman and for only a second, the adrenaline in his stomach stopped. She was the one who technically caught the experiment. She was the one who was able to trap it. So, in a sense, she was the one who was successful. Then again, he had amply caught her, so in the end, he was the most successful. He felt comfortable with that conclusion.

Upon arriving to the ship, a little “whoa” could be heard from the earth-woman. Gantu glanced down at her as she ogled the ship. “Impressive, isn’t it?” He said, attempting to break the silence on his part. She said nothing and continued to cling to her bag. He felt a sense of guilt, it wasn’t really fair to drag her into the situation, but she had his target, and he needed it. That was validation enough. He made his way up the entrance slope and into the cockpit, 625 was now onto spreading his tenth sandwich with mayo when Gantu’s loud footsteps echoed through the space.

“Hey G, you were fast. I take it you weren’t successful?” 625 said before turning around, his eyes widened when he saw Gantu carrying the human who now eyed him up. “Whoa whoa whoa! Since when were we allowed to bring women over?” 625 joked, getting up from his seat and making his way over. “625 please. She has the experiment in her bag, I simply took her because I-“ “Because she’s kinda cute for a human?” 625 said nonchalantly, clearly trying to strike a nerve. It worked.

“Oh Blitznak. 625 would you stop?” Gantu tried his best to keep his composure, unfortunately, it wasn’t his greatest strength. He decided it was best just to take the woman – and the experiment of course – to the transfer station where he could deposit the experiment over to Hämsterviel. As he went in the rodent of the hour appeared on the communication screen inside.

“Gantu! Tell me my eyes are not deceiving me! That is NOT an experiment! That is a human!” His eyes narrowed as Gantu made his way over to the computer, he began typing in Hämsterviel’s coordinates and placed the woman down beside him. “She has the experiment in her bag sir, I’m going to be transporting it to you shortly.” Hämsterviel began shouting slanderous nonsense that feel to the background of Gantu’s focus, it had become the norm for him. He knelt in front of the woman again, “Please, give me the bag.” Now the woman was glancing back and forth between Hämsterviel and the chamber in the centre of the room, “You’re not sending me somewhere too, are you?” She asked, her voice laced with fear. Gantu attempted to smile sympathetically, it was hard to genuinely be kind when you’re getting screamed at in the distance. “No, just the experiment.” She looked down at the bag one last time before handing it over. With his prize in hand, Gantu made his way over to the containment capsule and placed the bag in the centre. He went back to the computer and finished putting in the coordinates. He and the woman watched as the capsule went down around the bag, shined its brilliant light, and with a flash the bag was gone. Both individuals turned their attention back to the communication screen, only to see a pleased Hämsterviel. He eagerly peaked in the bag and beamed, then he glanced over at the screen again.

“Perhaps I should hire the earth-woman to be my experiment hunter. Unlike you, she can capture an experiment efficiently!” Gantu groaned again, of course. Even after he supplied the experiment, Hämsterviel wasn’t satisfied with his efforts. Sometimes he really had to wonder why he did this to himself. The call disconnected and Gantu looked down, defeated.

“Nothing is ever good enough for that gerbil.”

The woman looked up and placed her hand on his arm, “It was good enough for me,” she began, causing him to look over at her. He hadn’t expected her to speak again. She offered a smile, “In a way, you helped me not get put under – whatever spell that thing was casting. So, thank you.”

Thank you. Wow. It felt like it had been so long since Gantu heard those words used so sincerely towards him. It made him feel so warm and fuzzy. He couldn’t recall the last time he felt warm and fuzzy. It was nice.

Realizing all that he had put this poor earth-woman through, he thought it best to attempt to make it up to her. “Um, I can help you retrieve your things, the ones that fell when you used your bag to capture the trog?”

“That would be wonderful- wait. Trog?”

“I’ll explain on the way.”


	2. Abnormal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day seemed to get more and more abnormal as time goes on, but who is Gantu to complain?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am incredibly sorry for the long awaited chapter 2! I've already started on chapter 3 and will be more diligent with uploads. <3

“E-ly-za?” 

“Close! But think Elizabeth, without the Beth. E-le-za”

Gantu huffed, learning a new name felt troublesome, especially when the name in question was one he had never heard before. Granted, it sounded like it could’ve been one used on his home planet in the Keplok System, given the nature of their frequent use of short names focused on vowels. Still, the name was exotic to him. Troublesome. The pair had elected to try awkward introductions as they went about getting the earth woman- Eliza’s things back from the hotel. It was better than walking in silence, and Gantu couldn’t lie to himself – it was nice to finally talk to someone on a personable level who didn’t default to insulting him. It was another refreshing experience; those seemed frequent today.

The people of the town were still out cooled, clearly the little earth-girl and trog had yet to figure out a resolution. Perhaps they were still out looking for him and the experiment. A soft yet concerned hum resonated from Eliza, causing Gantu to jerk out of his thoughts and look down at her, “Don’t worry,” he spoke calmly yet plainly, “The little earth-girl you saw earlier and her monster will fix things.” His reassurance caused her to stop in her tracks, looking up at him as she did.

“That reminds me, why did she tell me not to give you the er, experiment?”

Blitznak. 

Gantu had to think and fast, was it appropriate to tell her the truth? Then again, given how he felt comfortable enough to be honest with her last time, he supposed he may as well come clean again.

“She and I, or well my boss, have two separate beliefs on how those experiments should be handled. As you could tell they are dangerous,” He then gestured to one man “sleeping” in his car, his car that was amply “parked” against a telephone poll. “The little girl believes she can find the one true place each of these abominations truly belongs. She believes it is here on earth.” They finally made their way to Eliza’s pile of belongings, all left exactly where she had dumped them. The two began picking them up off the floor as Gantu continued, “My boss, the gerbil you saw on the screen, these experiments actually belong to him. He wants me to capture them and for him to use them- however he pleases.” He didn’t want to confess exactly why Dr. Hämsterviel wanted them back, and for what purpose. It was best he didn’t scare off Eliza just yet.

“What about you?” She asked, with her arms now full of clothes.

“Me? What about me?” Gantu felt a twinge of anxiety from the question, what in the Korpex nebula could she possibly be referring to? Eliza shuffled her feet, looking at her possessions as she spoke, “Why do you work for this guy? He’s clearly an asshole. Pardon my tongue.” A small chuckle unexpectedly escaped Gantu, he couldn’t believe someone would be so openly crass about Hämsterviel, especially considering she had only seen him for a moment. With the lack of a verbal response Eliza continued, “You seem a lot nicer when you’re not working. At first you were very cold, now you clearly seem more relaxed. To me that’s a sign of being overworked.” Gantu rubbed the back of his neck, how could a human woman who had known him for less than an hour pick up on all of that so fast? Was he that easy to read or was she just that good? Regardless, it was embarrassing.

“You’re an observant one, aren’t you?”

Eliza offered a polite smile, “Yes, and it’s my profession. I’m a school councillor. It’s my job to be able to read moody teens and figure out what troubles them.”

Gantu cocked his brow, “Are you comparing me to that of an adolescent earth-form?”

Now it was Eliza’s turn to chuckle, “No no, well, unless you are the equivalent age? It’s um, hard to guess your age.” This triggered an involuntary grin from Gantu, regardless of whether or not that was a compliment, he had grown used to people calling him old. The fuzzy feeling faded however, when Eliza stood to her full height and furrowed her brows, “It just dawned on me. I haven’t booked into my hotel room yet, and I don’t know when I will be able to. I don’t suppose we can get my suitcase back?” She looked up at Gantu right when his smile faded. That was absolutely not going to happen. He considered offering her space in his ship, but he contemplated how weird that suggestion may sound.

“Er, probably not.” 

He reconsidered his thought as he watched the woman’s expression grow nervous, “Um, if you want, I do have some spare space on my ship. The one I had, um,” “The one you kidnapped me and took me to with the experiment?” Eliza interrupted with a cheeky half-smile, “Er, yes.” This human seemed to have more spunk in her than she had initially let on. However, he let the offer stand. She seemed to consider it for a moment and nodded, “If you’re okay with me doing so, I would appreciate staying with you.”

Another fuzzy feeling. Gantu was starting to feel concerned for his health. This was so abnormal for him, and now it was becoming frequent. He considered getting checked later. With hands full of her possessions, Eliza let out a timid “Um,” to get Gantu’s attention. The 20-foot-tall alien leaned down slightly, “Yes?” Their height difference had suddenly hit Gantu hard. This human woman was barely over five feet tall. He took the moment to notice her appearance in greater detail as well. She had fair brown almost blonde hair; her eyes were green with a faint blue-grey tint. Her skin was fair, paler than he was used to seeing on a human, even for a tourist. She stood out like a sore thumb to the other humans, and he could appreciate that. As an alien who typically stood out amongst other aliens – given his looming height, he could understand standing out amongst a crowd. His thoughts were interrupted when Eliza spoke up, “Could you, maybe, carry me back? These are kinda hard to carry while walking.” She jerked her arms to make her point, her arms stuffed to the brim with her belongings. Gantu chuckled again, feeling shy about the prospect, but felt bad. He contemplated stealing someone else’s suitcase and placing her things in it for her to use, but he decided to be a gentle-alien and oblige. He scoped her up the same way he had before, only with more grace and being far gentler now.

The walk, or ride, back was silent. Something Gantu hoped wouldn’t happen. He had trouble thinking about what to discuss. As he walked, his eyes would occasionally fall to the human in his arms, he tried his best to focus on the anything else, in fear of said human finding out that he was looking. Although, in his defence, she had eyed him up before. Still, it wasn’t very polite to stare. For someone who identified as a bad guy, Gantu wasn’t a fan of the lifestyle. Not a day would go by where he didn’t yearn to go back to working in the Galactic Alliance. He always wondered what he could’ve done differently to keep his role. His thoughts were cut short when the woman in his arms chirped up, “You didn’t tell me much about yourself, well, other than that your name is Gantu. Tell me more about yourself! I’ve never met an alien before.” Gantu looked at her with a perplexed stare, it didn’t sound like a request of pure formality, but one of genuine intrigue. Another unusual feeling for him.

“Well, um, I was born on an icy planet in the Keplok system. The eighth planet to be exact. I grew up with my parents, my father was quite stern. I went to train to be a part of the Galactic Armada and went up in the ranks to become a captain.” His expression grew sour, “Than I lost it all to that little blue abomination. Now I work for Dr. Jaques Von Hämsterviel, the gerbil-like alien.” It stung a bit, to verbally reminisce on the glory days only to be brought back to the painful reality that was his life. However, a soft pat on his chest distracted him, the culprit looking up at him with a tender smile.

“That’s amazing. You have such an incredible back story. You can’t think of it as something lost, just, a part of what makes you who you are today.” Clearly Eliza was trying her best to comfort him, and for that he appreciated it. Yet something about it would never sit right with him. Specifically, what he lost in becoming a captain in the first place and having nothing to show for it now. 

“You know,” Eliza began, “I came to Kauai with the intention of trying something new, seeing if I wanted to leave my past behind.” Gantu acknowledged her words with a “hm.”

“Thanks to you, and all this craziness, I’ve definitely been able to try something new! I feel like a fire inside me as been reignited; you know?”

That feeling Gantu could all to vividly relate to. Something inside him felt warmer than before, he felt better about himself than he had in a long time. He couldn’t deny that it was thanks to this woman, so perhaps they had helped each other out without even realizing it.

“I know exactly what you mean.”

Upon arriving to the ship, 625 had now started making a new type of sandwich, it looked like peanut butter with bananas and ham. An odd combination for an odd creature. He heard Gantu’s thunderous steps against the metal flooring, and without hesitation swivelled his chair to greet him.

“Ah! I see you brought your lady friend back. I can make enough sandwiches for all three of us. What’s your preference doll? I’ve got loads of options.” He got up and walked towards the pair, “I even got a fresh supply of baloney from this morning’s delivery.” He winked at her as he said this. Gantu grimaced at the thought of more baloney in his presence, and at how 625 was behaving – like his usual self.

“625 please, I do not think our guest is interested in baloney.”

625 huffed, “Well someone’s a little possessive.”

“I am not!” Gantu lashed out, embarrassed by the remark. “I’m being honest.”

Eliza looked thoughtful for a moment and sheepishly chimed in, “I wouldn’t mind a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, if you would be so kind?”

To this, 625 beamed, “Absolutely I can! Unlike some people I know how to treat a lady properly.”

Gantu sighed and let Eliza get on her feet. He motioned for her to follow him to the spare space in the ship that he had originally made his bathing room. “Here, you can put your things on the table over here,” he moved some towels over as he spoke, “I don’t have a spare bedroom or bed, but I can see what I can do for you.”

Eliza smiled and placed her things as instructed, “I’m just grateful to have shelter. Anything else at this point is a luxury.” Gantu smiled over at her, gratitude. Another foreign concept. 625 made his way in and hollered at the pair to come into the main gangway for food, when he decided to add a slight remark, “Oh and if you’re lacking a bed, why not just share one with Gantu? I hear he’s a great cuddler.” Gantu groaned, slapping his face to hide his obvious flustered expression. “Or,” 625 continued, “You can bunk with me! I am a confirmed excellent cuddler. And, I’m a far better size to do it with.” He said with a cheeky smirk, causing Gantu to groan louder, “625 I-“

“I can manage on my own.” Eliza interrupted, causing the two aliens to look at her, “I don’t want to impose more than I already am.” 625 shrugged and started walking away, waving his hand as he did, “You picked a sweetie G, I’m impressed.”

Gantu remained motionless, holding his face in both hands now. Eliza walked over to him, placing a hand on his leg, “He gets under your skin a lot I assume, but he seems to mean well.” Gantu just shook his hidden face, “Sure.”

As the duo arrived at the gangway, they noticed that 625 had rather considerately set up a picnic-esque arrangement for all of them. However, he set it up by his chair so he could sit tall while they would sit on the floor. While the gesture was kind, ish, it was odd for 625 to do something so un-lazy. Either this was an attempt to aid Gantu in enjoying the day he was supposed to have to relax, or 625 had ulterior motives. Honestly at this point it didn’t matter. Even Gantu was hungry now, and just wanted to relax. Eliza timidly took a spot at the arguably small blanket and glanced up at 625 who handed her a plate, “Here ya go, pb ‘n’ j. Gotta say, I don’t make this one too often for myself. It was quite the treat to make it for someone new.” Gantu rolled his eyes as he listened in, taking his place on the blanket that he now realized only his feet could fit on. The rest of him sat on the cold metal. He was suddenly greeted to a lap full of egg salad sandwiches, new fresh ones. What happened to the old ones he preferred not to know.

As they ate, 625 decided to break the silence, “So, why do we have a guest anyways? Not that I’m complaining, but I would’ve cleaned up a little had I known.”

Gantu finished off his third sandwich and spoke up, “I’m helping her out. That’s all you need to know.” This seemed satisfactory to 625, though his body movements suggested otherwise. He turned to face Eliza again, his hand relaxed under his chin, “What’s your name anyways? What’s your story? We’ve all got one. A washed-up captain,” He motioned to an annoyed Gantu, “a devilishly good-looking sandwich making experiment created by an evil genius,” he placed his hand on his chest and grinned cheekily, “what about you?” Eliza looked thoughtful and brought her index finger to her chin, “Let’s see. My name is Eliza Burns. I’m a school councillor. I’m 28, I’m Canadian- oh, you guys probably don’t even know what that is.” She slapped her forehead; her point was proven when the two aliens looked at each other than at her.

“Well, we’re in the United States of America right now, it’s um, a country. Canada is it’s neighbouring country. Except not it’s neighbour where we are right now because we’re on an island that is a part of the mainland United States…” She sentence started to drift as she furrowed her brow, “Oh, I hope that makes sense.”

Gantu vaguely got the gist of what she meant, nodding at her explanation. He noticed she seemed content with all the information she gave, but he could tell she had more to her than that. He didn’t want to pry, not yet. She’d share what she wanted to in due time. For only a second, his mind reflected back to Cinta. She was quite the opposite from this human woman. Cinta was stubborn, but bold. She’d tell a stranger anything and everything about herself. She was an open book that was not afraid of how someone viewed her. She was also very confident, too confident at times. Her boldness was one thing Gantu struggled with. He had his bravado, he had his own stubbornness, but having a partner with the same mentality was a recipe for conflict and arguing. This woman was shy, private, but honest. Or at least she seemed to be. After a moment of this train of thought Gantu snapped himself back to reality. Why was he comparing this earth-form to his ex-girlfriend?

How ridiculous.

Night fell and Eliza was yawning away. She had been listening to 625 explain their daily routine, he even went so far as to share things about Gantu that he knew would upset him, but also clearly entertained Eliza. During this, Gantu was finally able to soak in the tub as he had originally intended. His body ached, but not as much as it had before. Even the level of anxiety he had felt lighter. Something about this human was comforting, but what? Had he really been denied so much? Starved for kindness and compassion that this woman was providing him with?

Perhaps he’d try to keep her around as long as he could, if not just for the sweet resolve she seemed to provide him with. He even considered the possibility of having her as a member of his small team. She and 625 clearly got along. Maybe that was all Gantu needed, a new companion.

Gantu finished his bathing, this time feeling completely refreshed and ready for the next day. As he was putting on his night attire, he heard a knock at the door, “Come in.” He called.

625 came in, his arms folded over his chest. “You are not allowed to have the poor thing sleep on the floor.”

Gantu turned to face him, “I was going to get her some towels or sheets or something for her to lay on.”

“Not good enough. Just let her share your bed.” 625 then grinned devilishly, “Or are you scared of getting human cooties?” Gantu pinched the skin between his eyes and sighed, realizing that this was a losing battle. “Alright fine. I’ll offer to share. But I’ll have you know that’s extremely improper.”

625 chuckled, “What are you, an old man? It’s not that bad. It could be so much worse.” He just knew that would strike a nerve with Gantu, he always knew how to test the larger alien. Gantu growled and marched over to him, “How many times do I have to tell you, I am not old!” 625 shrugged, “Till you prove me wrong?” Gantu was ready to say more until he saw Eliza in the corner of his eye, he stopped in his place and let out an awkward cough into his clenched fist.

“Eliza, would you um, if you want, er.” He rubbed the back of his neck, “If you want, my bed is big enough for your small earth-form to share with me. So if you want, you can share my bed with me tonight.” 625 grinned smugly at this. Eliza blinked and gave a thoughtful look, “Are you sure? I really don’t want to impose!” Gantu waved his hand dismissively, “It’s fine, really. I shouldn’t let you sleep on the cold floor.” He decided it best to play it cool, he couldn’t show her just how shy he was at the whole ordeal otherwise it might make the situation awkward – if it wasn’t already. He began walking towards his room, “If you decide to come, it’s in here.” He then walked into the room and let the door shut behind him. He hoped he seemed cool back there, he felt cool at least. He could hear some inaudible voices from the two other lifeforms then the door opened again, revealing a shy faced Eliza. She was wearing a baby blue night gown that was arguably see-though. Gantu did his best not to pay it any mind. He’d noticed early on how similar his anatomy was to that of humans, so places that would make a member of his species blush was parallel to what would make a human blush. Such knowledge was paying off now. He got into the giant bed, facing the wall, and giving a far bit of space for Eliza to slip right in. The movement of the bed was barely noticeable as she climbed in. For only a moment their bodies touched, causing the large alien’s body to stiffen, feeling embarrassed. However as quickly as the moment came, it went. Her body now turned away from his facing the other wall.

Perfect, Gantu thought, this isn’t awkward. Just, sharing a bed with a human-woman. That was all. Nothing abnormal about- okay. This whole day had been abnormal. At this point he’d accepted that normal wasn’t on the menu. After a little while, soft little breathes could be heard from the tiny form beside him, and Gantu managed to calm himself down enough to find himself asleep as well. Perhaps tomorrow would bring more abnormalities, perhaps things were changing for the interesting, and for the better.


	3. A Hug

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All these warm and fuzzy feelings begin to feel like a wonderful well-needed hug for Gantu.

“Experiment 240 Activated. Primary function, harvesting main air supply.”

Gantu shifted in his bed, the sudden noise desperately tried to grab at his subconscious. His body remained where it lay as his arms began moving around, trying to get comfortable again. Suddenly, one of his hands made contact with something soft, warm and fleshy. The fleshy “thing” let out a little moan, which finally triggered Gantu’s brain to awaken. When he opened his eyes and looked, he saw that his one massive hand was placed on Eliza’s breasts, both of them. At some point in the middle of the night, his body had rearranged itself to spoon the small woman, bringing her close as if she was his own personal teddy bear. Embarrassed and alarmed, he quickly moved his hand away, his arms going back to his sides as he shifted so he was facing the wall again.

_Please tell me she isn’t awake._

_Please tell me she didn’t feel that._

Thankfully, she didn’t respond. Suggesting that Gantu was in the clear. Thank Korpex. Now, he just needed to get out of bed without waking her to figure out what the noise was. He had a feeling it was the computer letting him know another experiment was loose, and he didn’t want the communication monitor busting through the door to yell at him for not getting out of bed sooner. He thought it best to just get up right away, so as to not disrupt his human guest’s slumber. He felt bad enough for having groped her in his sleep. As best as a 20-foot-tall alien man could, he tried to slink out of the bed quietly. His movements alone seemed to awaken the woman as she let out a soft yawn.

“Good morning.” She muttered.

Gantu sighed, sitting on his side of the bed while rubbing his eyes full of sleep. “I’m sorry, I tried to be discrete. It’s not easy when you’re my size.”

Eliza let out a little laugh as she sat up, stretching her arms up and out. “Don’t worry about it, I slept better than I have in, gosh, I can’t remember the last time I slept so well!” Come to think of it, he had a pretty wonderful sleep as well. He didn’t wake up once, and had the computer not woken him up, he’d have slept in longer.

Oh Blitznak, the computer. 

Gantu rushed out of bed and made his way to the bridge where the former experiment holding capsule computer was stationed, he tapped on it to find out which experiment he had missed. Eliza slowly sauntered in after him, rubbing the sleep out of her own eyes. She glanced over at the orb; her eyes fixated on the hologram of the experiment in question. She wandered over to Gantu’s side, he smiled slightly when he realized she was beside him.

“Say,” he began, turning to face the curious woman, “Would you like to accompany me in capturing this experiment?”

Eliza’s eyes widened, she looked unsure for a moment but then nodded eagerly. “Sure! It might be kinda fun to see you in action.” That damn warm fuzzy feeling again. Now he was starting to think she was being so kind to him just to trigger it. He couldn’t deny it still felt wonderful though. He grinned and handed her a blaster with netting ammo.

“This is a highly sophisticated piece of alien technology. It is a gun filled with net bullets. Simply shot at your target and a net will spring out to trap it. Sound good?”

Eliza nodded, holding the gun closer to her face, “These would come in handy for catching a boyfriend.” She proceeded to laugh at her own bad joke. Gantu couldn’t help but smile again, though it was a cheesy joke, it was cute to see her laugh. More fuzzies – need to focus. He then got himself ready to go with his weapons and capture capsule. 625 came out from his room to wave them off, “With you two working together, you might actually be successful again.” He said, while packing two sandwiches in a brown paper bag as if he was sending them off to school. He handed it to Eliza and winked, “So he doesn’t try to eat you.” Eliza looked confused while Gantu snapped, “625!”

Upon arriving to the town, everything seemed relatively back too normal. No one was unconscious anymore, yet there was no sign of the little earth-girl or the trog. Curious, Gantu contemplated where the experiment could be hiding. “Let’s see, it was an oxygen-sucking experiment, so surely it should be around earthlings.”

“Unless” Eliza began, “What if it is in the forest? Trying to take the oxygen from the trees directly?”

Gantu looked over at his new partner, having a companion who was familiar with this planet would prove extremely beneficial. “Brilliant, let’s go to the forest.”

What he didn’t realize however, was that Lilo and Stitch were in town at the shaved ice shack. Stitch was able to hear their entire conversation and tugged at Lilo’s dress to get her attention.

“What is it Stitch?” She asked, looking around.

“Ikata! Ika patooka aka tiki baba!”* Stitch called while pointing to the trees. Without letting Lilo ask, he grabbed her arm and began darting for the forest.

Deep within the forest, there were strange noises, but no sign of the experiment. Gantu held his plasma gun at the ready while Eliza held her blaster with netting in a similar stance. It was adorable to see his human try so hard to mimic him. To the left of them was the sound of what could best be described as a creature scurrying around, likely the experiment. Gantu began making a move and motioned for Eliza to follow, she complied with slight hesitation. As they drew closer to the noise, it stopped. Gantu hid behind a tree as best he could – which really meant that he wasn’t hidden at all. The human hide behind him as he peered past the bark. “There.” He whispered.

The experiment in question looked like a simple brown mammal with big buck teeth right in the centre of its mouth, they looked as though they were designed to break through the bark and suck out the oxygen from the tree, if that was even possible. Eliza let out a little involuntary squeal, “Oh! It looks just like a beaver!” She whispered, the claim confusing Gantu, “A what?” “I’ll explain later.” She said as she pointed to the experiment, “It’s distracted, now’s our chance!” Gantu nodded and began running towards it, his capture capsule in hand, “I’ve got you now!”

“Not so fast you big dummy!” The cry came from none other than Lilo herself. Stitch carried her on his back while he ran straight for the experiment and Gantu. Eliza let out a little yelp as she shot her net straight at the confused and frightened experiment, successfully catching it in her net. Gantu had to admit, he was incredibly impressed. He reached for the bag when Stitch snatched it first. With Lilo still on his back, he made a break for it.

“Why you little trog! Get back here with that!” Gantu tried to dash after Stitch, Eliza following behind with little luck. Lilo looked over her shoulder and saw the struggling woman. “Stitch, let’s try to help her!” Stitch let out a quick “Naga!” as Lilo went on, “What if Gantu has her brainwashed? We have to help her!” Stitch let out a groan and did a U-turn in the grass, making his way back for Eliza. When Gantu realized what was going on, he frantically went back as well, “Wait!”

Eliza, now looking confused as ever, watched as the blue furry flash went right for her and scoped her up, plopping the netted experiment into her arms as he now ran with three bodies in tow. She let out yelp in fright.

“Please! Put me down!”

“Don’t worry, Stitch and I will help fix you up!” Lilo peered over Stitch’s shoulder as she spoke, “You just have to trust us.”

“That seems to be all I can do right now.” Eliza muttered.

Before long, Gantu lost his momentum and couldn’t continue to run. Curse his weakening body. He watched as the little trog scurried away with his experiment, and his new partner. There was a chance that she would be able to recover the experiment and bring it back to him. However, there was also a chance that Lilo would convince her of how bad Gantu truly was – at least, in her eyes – and make Eliza hate him. That thought stung more than he had expected. The idea of this new beacon of kindness hating him, it caused him to worry. There was no question, once he regained his strength, he’d go after them and get her back. And the experiment too, of course.

Walking to where he recalled the Pelekai residence to be, Gantu’s mind ran ramped with what the little earth girl could be telling Eliza. Probably how his boss was actually an evil genius who wanted to take over the galaxy, and how Gantu was his lacky, useless at best, but just as evil. It brought a pang to his heart. He hoped she would either not believe Lilo, or she wouldn’t care; either option sounded unlikely however. Eliza was clearly a kind and educated human, there was no way she’d ignore Lilo’s words, and would likely abandon a villain like him.

His thoughts began controlling his feet, his pace increasing to an almost jog. Why was he so bothered by the idea that this human might not like him anyways? He’d just met her yesterday, and she was just an earthling. Yet, there was just something so abnormal about her and how she had treated him. She made him feel things he hadn’t felt in so long he forgot he could feel like that anymore. It was possible his feelings for this human were as abnormal as how she treated him.

When he finally arrived at the house, he stood outside the front door, but cracked the roof open a sliver, allowing him to ease drop on the conversations. He knew he could just scope up Eliza and the experiment, but he wanted to listen first, see what was going on, and be prepared to attack when everyone was distracted.

“How did you end up involved in all this alien craziness?” Eliza was sitting on the couch beside Stitch and the still netted 240, her eyes fixated on Lilo as the little girl paced around the room. Gantu had likely caught them mid conversation, as he wasn’t sure how their discussion led to Eliza asking her such a question.

“Oh, it’s a long story,” Lilo began, “But me and Stitch have saved the galaxy multiple times now. We’re professionals.”

Then, the sound of footsteps from deep in the house could be heard, along with a pair of bickering voices.

“I cannot believe you would make a little monster that eats air!” Gantu could recognize that shrill voice anywhere. The one-eyed crossdresser*. 

“You are forgetting that I am evil genius, and therefor my creations must be evil. It is making sense to me.” And of course, the mad scientist.

As they entered the room, Eliza turned to them, the trio all looking at each other in confusion. Pleakley was the first to let out a shrill gasp.

“Lilo! You and Stitch brought a guest and didn’t think to warn me first? Had I known, I would’ve cleaned the house and gotten dressed!” He then looked at himself then back at Eliza, “You can’t see me like this! I’ll be right back.” He then proceeded to disappear into the hall again. Jumba, after rolling all four eyes, extended a hand for Eliza to shake.

“Nice to be making your acquaintance.”

“Nice to, ah, meet you too.” Eliza rubbed her arm awkwardly before shaking his hand. She then looked back at Lilo for answers. “Oh, this is my uncle Jumba, and the one you just saw leave is my aunt Pleakley. She’s uh, not herself without her wigs.” Jumba nodded in response, “Is true. He- ah she, is ashamed of her looks without them.”

“You know I can still hear you!” Pleakley called from the other room.

Eliza continued to rub her arm, holding it close to her body. She looked so nervous. Gantu wanted to take her right then and there, he hated seeing her like that. It was made worse when Jumba took a seat beside Stitch, causing the couch to rise on her side due to his excess weight. The poor human looked so uncomfortable.

“You might be asking yourself, why am I here?” Lilo began.

“Actually yes.” Eliza responded, causing Lilo to put her finger up to Eliza’s face.

“What you don’t realize is that the big dummy who kidnapped you first is actually super evil. And we need to help fix your brain to stop it from melting into a submissive zombie brain. You don’t wanna be Gantu’s zombie.”

Eliza let out a little laugh and shook her head, “I appreciate your concern Lilo, but I’m not under any spell, Gantu was kind enough to offer me a place to sleep on his ship while everyone was out cold due to the last experiment.” She said with a smile, “And I don’t think he’s terribly evil.” An unexpected warmth filled Gantu’s chest, a sense of relief. She didn’t see him that way, or at least, not yet. It was a feeling he wanted to linger.

“HE IS PURE EVIL!” The shrill voice of Pleakley called through the hallway as he approached, coming into the room in a curly red wig with a dark red dress, orange heels and a matching handbag. He was going all out today. “You can’t trust a single thing that comes from that alien’s mouth!”

“Eh, Pleakley is right little woman.” Jumba confirmed, “He works for my former partner, who is an evil genius who is true to the first part of his name. Evil yes, genius, no.”

“He’s trying to take over the galaxy, and Gantu is his henchmen.” Lilo added, crossing her arms, “You can’t trust that dummyhead.” She then turned to grin up at Eliza, “You should work with us instead!”

Now was likely the opportune time to take Eliza before she heard anymore. However, the perplexed look on her face was enough to cause that pang in his chest again. Her brows were furrowed, and her lower lip was nibbled on as she was lost in thought.

She stood up from her spot on the sofa and looked around at everyone in the room as she spoke, “I understand what you’re saying, I really do. But I believe there is some good in him, at least, I hope there is.” She placed her hands on her chest, smiling to herself as she did, “I want to see it for myself.”

Lilo smiled but furrowed her brows, “I believe in that too, but,” Eliza smiled and placed her hand on Lilo’s shoulder, “How about I won’t intervene in what you guys do. Let me see if I can bring out the good in him. Please?” She knelt to Lilo’s level, giving her the sweetest smile. Lilo sighed and nodded, “I understand. But we’ll be here if you need us.”

Upon hearing this, Gantu gently put the roof down and sighed to himself. She was going to come back. Unfortunately for her, she wasn’t going to convince him to be good. Not yet. He wasn’t sure what to do next, play along so he could keep her at his side? Or try to make her see his way was the right way? It was hard for him to decide. His thoughts were cut short when the front door opened. He decided he would meet her back at his ship, assuming she knew where it was.

As Gantu made his trek back, his mind continued to wander. Till he realized he left the experiment behind. He decided he’d let them have it though, since he didn’t want Eliza to see him just yet. Less she change her mind just like that. He realized that he would have to be gentler, sweeter, to fumble through this new thing and try and maintain it. What he didn’t realize however was that Eliza didn’t know her way back to his ship and would be taking a detour.

* * *

Walking down the steps of the Pelekai home, Eliza thought about all that was previously discussed. She couldn’t understand why she had defended Gantu after hearing what she had heard. Then again, after what she and 625 had discussed the night before, she couldn’t help but feel great sympathy for the large alien male. He was just doing his job, and whether it was right or wrong truly wasn’t up to her. She knew she enjoyed his company though, he was sweet, and clearly hid his caring nature. Not to mention he was arguably less intimating to her than the three aliens at Lilo’s home; something about Stitch’s incredible strength, Jumba’s size and demeaner, and Pleakley’s – well, he didn’t seem too bad, but the others concerned her.

She walked for a while until she realized she had absolutely no idea how to get to Gantu’s ship. All she could recall was that it was by a beautiful waterfall. She was walking through town trying to recall where it could be when she saw tourist maps scattered out on a table outside of the local police station. An odd place to have them, but convenient for her. Eliza unfolded the pamphlet and browsed through, trying to figure out which waterfall it could have been, and how to get there from town. Her eyes scanned the page, until she felt a gentle tap on her shoulder.  
“Are you alright miss? You look lost.”

Eliza turned around to see a policeman. The man had a rich warm skin complexation and brown hair with a streak of lighter brown shining through in the centre. He had his arms folded over his chest, but he smiled at her as he spoke.

“Well, I suppose I am a bit lost.” Eliza admitted, feeling abruptly shy. The officer took a step beside her and glanced at the map, “Where were you heading?”

There was an odd, flustered feeling flourishing in the pit of her stomach, he was rather attractive, and he was getting closer. “Ah well, I’m looking to see all of the various waterfalls the island has to offer.” She said with a sheepish smile, not wanting to explain that she needed to find a spaceship. “Let’s see,” The man took out a pen from his breast pocket and began circling various areas on the map, “These are the ones I can think of, but I guarantee there are many more.” He said with a hearty chuckle, “You are on Kauai, after all.” As he finished, he clicked the pen and placed it back into his pocket. “I hope that is enough waterfalls for you, miss-?” He reached his hand out for her to shake, to which she felt her face grow warmer, but she took his hand quite quickly. She tenderly shook it with the best level of confidence she could muster, “Eliza.” She said simply, smiling sweetly.

“Well, Eliza, if you ever need anything else, please don’t hesitate to call me – or the police office, of course.” He said as he then took out a business card, placing it in her hand.

“Oh, thank you officer,” She then read the card, “Kahiko.” She smiled up at him and he returned the smile. Something about the interaction felt so off but satisfying. Eliza didn’t want to admit it, but she didn’t want it to end. “May I ask you a, well, possibly strange question?” Eliza spoke up.

“Of course, fire away.” Kahiko said with a grin.

“Are you well, familiar with the island? Besides the waterfalls, of course.”

The male let out another hearty laugh, placing his hand on his chest, “I’ve lived here my whole life. I know most of this island like the back of my hand.” He said confidently, “Would you like a tour?”

Eliza had trouble coming up with a cohesive response, she hadn’t expected him to be so forward about it. “I would like that very much.”

* * *

Two hours had passed, and Gantu began to worry. Had she lost her way to the ship? Had she decided she’d changed her mind? He couldn’t stand the waiting anymore. He got up from his seat and started heading out the door.

As he left, he looked around the area, trying to see if she was in the clearing. When suddenly he saw a human hand rise from the brush.

“Gantu!” That all too familiar female voice was calling his name.

He walked over to her and smiled down at her, taking a sigh of relief. “I was beginning to worry you wouldn’t come back.” He admitted. Eliza smiled up at him and rubbed the back of her neck. “Sorry, I had trouble finding my way back.” He couldn’t help but be annoyed with himself. He should’ve taken her home, even if it meant her knowing he had listened to the conversation.

It didn’t matter now though, she was back.

The ships door closed with a loud clunk as they re-entered. Gantu went in behind her, his eyes fixated on her form as they went. He had a lot of time to think in those past hours, and he thought about how this human made him feel. He contemplated confessing how much he adored her kindness and compassion in the hopes of her showing him in them even more. His selfish side wanted to hold her close and listen to her sweet words of comfort for hours, but his restraint was only slightly stronger than his temptation.

There was a pregnant pause, until Gantu knelt to attempt to get to her level – however it was an impossible feat. He looked at her for a moment before finally speaking, “I’m sorry for asking such an odd question, but,” He rubbed the back of his neck. He wasn’t prepared to ask the question he was itching to ask since he was initially worried he’d lose her. He was frustrated with himself, hoping she had magically become a mind reader and would know exactly what he was about to ask. She tilted her head, looking at him with a hint of confusion and curiosity. Without deciding to finish his question, he leaned down and wrapped his arms around her small frame, pressing himself against her as gently as he could. 

He just wanted a proper hug, especially a hug with her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * = “Look! The dummy head is over there!”  
> * = A sneaky Team Fortress 2 reference; Demoman is called a "one-eyed crossdresser" I thought it was clever.
> 
> Also yes, I am bringing in Officer Kahiko from the TV Series. Why? Because I like drama, and this story needs it, and he needs more love. But don't worry, Gantu wins Eliza in the end. ;P


End file.
